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In the year 1840, the theatre at Wiesbaden was a poor affair even externally, and its company, for affected and pitiful ar commonplaceness, not one hair's-breadth above the level, which arded up to now as the normal one in all German theatres, and which has been displayed in perfection lately by the company in Carlsruhe, under the 'illustrious' direction of Herr Devrient At the back of the box taken for her 'Serenity Mada it, God knows, he can hardly have really bribed the stadt-director!) was a little room, with sofas all round it; before she went into the box, Maria Nikolaevna asked Sanin to draw up the screen that shut the box off from the theatre

'I don't want to be seen,' she said, 'or else they'll be swar round directly, you know' She made him sit down beside her with his back to the house so that the box seemed to be ee of Figaro The curtain rose, the play began

It was one of those numerous home-raised products in which well-read but talentless authors, in choice, but dead language, studiously and cautiously enunciated so' idea, portrayed a so-called tragic conflict, and produced dulnessan Asiatic dulness, like Asiatic cholera Maria Nikolaevna listened patiently to half an act, but when the first lover, discovering the treachery of his mistress (he was dressed in a cinnamon-coloured coat with 'puffs' and a plush collar, a striped waistcoat with reen trousers with straps of varnished leather, and white chaloves), when this lover pressed both fists to his bosole, howled like a dog, Maria Nikolaevna could not stand it

'The humblest French actor in the humblest little provincial town acts better and hest Gernation; and she moved away and sat down in the little roo the sofa beside her 'Let's talk'

Sanin obeyed

Maria Nikolaevna glanced at him 'Ah, I see you're as soft as silk! Your ill have an easy ti with her fan towards the howling actor (he was acting the part of a tutor), 're days; I, too, was in love with a teacher It was my firstno,monk of the Don monastery I elve years old I only saw him on Sundays He used to wear a short velvet cassock, sh the croith the censer, used to say to the ladies in French, "Pardon, excusez" but never lifted his eyes, and he had eyelashes like that!' Maria Nikolaevna er quite half the length of the little finger and showed Sanin 'My tutor was called--Monsieur Gaston! I must tell you he was an awfully learned and very severe person, a Swiss,--and with such an energetic face! Whiskers black as pitch, a Greek profile, and lips that looked like cast iron! I was afraid of him! He was the only man I have ever been afraid of in my life He was tutor to ipsy woman has foretold a violent death for me too, but that's all moonshine I don't believe in it Only fancy Ippolit Sidoritch with a dagger!'